It was time to leave the village of Brienz on the north shore of Lake Brienz. We would ride a boat across the lake to the south shore and visit the historic majestic Hotel Giessbach.
Hotel Giessbach is testament to the luxury afforded wealthy visitors to Switzerland a century ago. It rests high on the hills south of Lake Brienz, surrounded by forests and Alpine meadows, with a view of the spectacular Giessbach Falls.
From there, we take the bus to Interlaken, the city on the Aare River that rests between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. Some of our tour group visit Beatus Caves on the shores of Lake Thun. Many of us just scatter and wander the streets of Interlaken and enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the many fine restaurants of the city - and do some shopping, of course.
And then, it is off to our hotel in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. When most people think of the major cities of Switzerland, it is Zurich and Geneva that first come to mind. Actually, Zurich, Switzerland's largest, population 341,800, is the financial center. Geneva, population 184,000, is the international city, home of the International Red Cross and many other international organizations. But Bern, a smaller city, population 122,000, is the capital of Canton Bern and capital of Switzerland.
Bern lies on the Swiss plateau, slightly west of the center of Switzerland, about 12 miles north of the Bernese Alps. The ancient city was originally built on a strategic location, a hilly U-shaped peninsula surrounded by a severe bend of the Aare River.
Switzerland today is a peaceful, neutral nation. It has not always been so. In 1353, Bern joined the Swiss Confederacy as one of eight cantons. Bern invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. Bern was occupied by Napoleon's French troops in 1798 and stripped of parts of its territories, including the Bernese Oberland. It regained control of the Oberland in 1802 and acquired the Bernese Jura in 1814, territory that included the Jura Mountains and adjoining lands to the south.
Bern was made Switzerland's capital of the new Swiss federal state in 1848. In 1979, the Bernese Jura seceded from Canton Bern, forming a separate canton, Canton Jura.
In 1983, Bern's historic Old Town became a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The next day we would visit another UNESCO site, the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces on the north shore of Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva, as it is known in the English-speaking world.
Lake Geneva is a deep lake in the Rhone River drainage system. The Rhone River rises in the south slopes of the Alps, flowing south and west to Lake Geneva, and eventually to the Mediterranean Sea.
France is on the south shore of Lake Geneva, Switzerland on the north. The historic Chateau de Chillon (Castle of Chillon) is on the east end of the lake near the city of Montreaux, Canton Vaud, that we visited two years ago. The strategic and historic importance of that region is that it controls the road to the Great St. Bernard Pass, the lowest pass lying on the ridge between the two highest summits of the Alps, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. It is the most ancient pass through the Western Alps. Napoleon used that pass to enter Italy.
From the Chateau de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne on the south-facing north shores of Lake Geneva are the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces. Acres of scenic, productive vineyards cover the lower slopes of the mountainside between villages and the lake.
There is some evidence that grape vines were grown there in Roman times. But the present vine terraces can be traced back to the 11th Century when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area. The boundaries of the UNESCO site include all the elements of the wine-growing process and the traditional wine growing area since at least the 12th Century. The terraces are in continuous use.
The vineyards on those south-facing slopes are meticulously groomed. We descendants of German-speaking Swiss don't generally think of the vineyards of Cantons Vaud and Valais when we talk of Switzerland. The beauty and sheer artistry of those vineyards just demonstrates once again that it is impossible to say that one part of Switzerland is more scenic than another.
In the crisp, cool autumn air, we depart the bus and take our seats in miniature open air tram cars. We ride up through winding paths among the vineyards. The grapes, some purple, some greenish white, appear to be at maturity, ready to be picked. The tram stops at a winery; we depart and are guided through the winery and instructed in the wine-making process.
At the end of the tour we are seated on an outdoor verandah. Taking in the soft sunshine with a view of the picture-perfect vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva, and enjoying some choice products of that winery - well, need I say more?
Creeping urbanization is nearly always a threat to historic and cultural sites. Strong protection has evolved as reaction to creeping urbanization from growing cities of Montreaux to the east and Lausanne to the west. Numerous agencies have stepped up to protect the beauty and culture of the region. A number of agencies have cooperated in developing management strategies for conservation of villages, individual buildings, roads and footpaths, and vineyard plots.
Later in the morning, we visit the Olympic Museum that is located in Lausanne, capital of Canton Vaud.
Then we scatter to wander the streets of Lausanne. And, of course, we enjoy another lunch at one of Lausanne's many fine outdoor cafes while taking in the gentle sunshine and the view overlooking Lake Geneva.
Next week: Langnau, the Emmental Valley, Schaffhausen, and farewell to Switzerland.
- John Waelti of Monroe can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in The Monroe Times.
Hotel Giessbach is testament to the luxury afforded wealthy visitors to Switzerland a century ago. It rests high on the hills south of Lake Brienz, surrounded by forests and Alpine meadows, with a view of the spectacular Giessbach Falls.
From there, we take the bus to Interlaken, the city on the Aare River that rests between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. Some of our tour group visit Beatus Caves on the shores of Lake Thun. Many of us just scatter and wander the streets of Interlaken and enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the many fine restaurants of the city - and do some shopping, of course.
And then, it is off to our hotel in Bern, the capital of Switzerland. When most people think of the major cities of Switzerland, it is Zurich and Geneva that first come to mind. Actually, Zurich, Switzerland's largest, population 341,800, is the financial center. Geneva, population 184,000, is the international city, home of the International Red Cross and many other international organizations. But Bern, a smaller city, population 122,000, is the capital of Canton Bern and capital of Switzerland.
Bern lies on the Swiss plateau, slightly west of the center of Switzerland, about 12 miles north of the Bernese Alps. The ancient city was originally built on a strategic location, a hilly U-shaped peninsula surrounded by a severe bend of the Aare River.
Switzerland today is a peaceful, neutral nation. It has not always been so. In 1353, Bern joined the Swiss Confederacy as one of eight cantons. Bern invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. Bern was occupied by Napoleon's French troops in 1798 and stripped of parts of its territories, including the Bernese Oberland. It regained control of the Oberland in 1802 and acquired the Bernese Jura in 1814, territory that included the Jura Mountains and adjoining lands to the south.
Bern was made Switzerland's capital of the new Swiss federal state in 1848. In 1979, the Bernese Jura seceded from Canton Bern, forming a separate canton, Canton Jura.
In 1983, Bern's historic Old Town became a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The next day we would visit another UNESCO site, the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces on the north shore of Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva, as it is known in the English-speaking world.
Lake Geneva is a deep lake in the Rhone River drainage system. The Rhone River rises in the south slopes of the Alps, flowing south and west to Lake Geneva, and eventually to the Mediterranean Sea.
France is on the south shore of Lake Geneva, Switzerland on the north. The historic Chateau de Chillon (Castle of Chillon) is on the east end of the lake near the city of Montreaux, Canton Vaud, that we visited two years ago. The strategic and historic importance of that region is that it controls the road to the Great St. Bernard Pass, the lowest pass lying on the ridge between the two highest summits of the Alps, Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa. It is the most ancient pass through the Western Alps. Napoleon used that pass to enter Italy.
From the Chateau de Chillon to the eastern outskirts of Lausanne on the south-facing north shores of Lake Geneva are the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces. Acres of scenic, productive vineyards cover the lower slopes of the mountainside between villages and the lake.
There is some evidence that grape vines were grown there in Roman times. But the present vine terraces can be traced back to the 11th Century when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area. The boundaries of the UNESCO site include all the elements of the wine-growing process and the traditional wine growing area since at least the 12th Century. The terraces are in continuous use.
The vineyards on those south-facing slopes are meticulously groomed. We descendants of German-speaking Swiss don't generally think of the vineyards of Cantons Vaud and Valais when we talk of Switzerland. The beauty and sheer artistry of those vineyards just demonstrates once again that it is impossible to say that one part of Switzerland is more scenic than another.
In the crisp, cool autumn air, we depart the bus and take our seats in miniature open air tram cars. We ride up through winding paths among the vineyards. The grapes, some purple, some greenish white, appear to be at maturity, ready to be picked. The tram stops at a winery; we depart and are guided through the winery and instructed in the wine-making process.
At the end of the tour we are seated on an outdoor verandah. Taking in the soft sunshine with a view of the picture-perfect vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva, and enjoying some choice products of that winery - well, need I say more?
Creeping urbanization is nearly always a threat to historic and cultural sites. Strong protection has evolved as reaction to creeping urbanization from growing cities of Montreaux to the east and Lausanne to the west. Numerous agencies have stepped up to protect the beauty and culture of the region. A number of agencies have cooperated in developing management strategies for conservation of villages, individual buildings, roads and footpaths, and vineyard plots.
Later in the morning, we visit the Olympic Museum that is located in Lausanne, capital of Canton Vaud.
Then we scatter to wander the streets of Lausanne. And, of course, we enjoy another lunch at one of Lausanne's many fine outdoor cafes while taking in the gentle sunshine and the view overlooking Lake Geneva.
Next week: Langnau, the Emmental Valley, Schaffhausen, and farewell to Switzerland.
- John Waelti of Monroe can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in The Monroe Times.
